Blog
Thank you for visiting the Field Center blog! Members of the Field Center network are passionate about our work and we welcome the opportunity to share more of our stories, reflections, and impacts with you. The Field Center hopes to use our blog to introduce you to members of our team, including faculty and staff, students and fellows, board members and donors, without whom our work to reform systems impacting children and families would not be possible. Every stakeholder has a story to tell about why the Field Center’s work is a priority to them.
Our team is excited to share our passion with you, and increase our ability to respond to pressing issues in real time. Happy reading, and please share widely with your networks!
Best Practices in Global Research and Program Evaluation
By Sarah Wasch, MSW; Associate Director, The Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research—–Although the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research focuses much of its work on child welfare and wellbeing in the United States, occasional opportunities for global collaboration become a natural fit for our portfolio.
The Importance of Advocacy in Public Policy: A Social Worker’s Role
By Richard Wren, Field Center MSW Intern—–Legislative advocacy can mean different things to everyone. Engaging with advocacy can include social media posts, writing a letter to elected officials, calling or emailing their offices, attending committee hearings at the capitol, and so much more.
Breaking Down Haaland v. Brackeen
By Jamie Suk, Field Center Lerner Fellow in Child Welfare Policy—–On November 9, 2022, The Supreme Court heard the oral argument for Haaland v. Brackeen, a case representing a fight for Native children, Native families, and Tribal Nations against a constitutional challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
Expert Recommendations on Improving Services to Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: Lessons from the Pandemic and Beyond
By Sarah Wasch, MSW, Field Center Associate Director—–Last year, I joined a research team at the Field Center to examine the mental health challenges experienced by older youth in and aged out of foster care during COVID-19 and the buffers they employed to regulate their emotions.
Brackeen v. Holland Heads to the Supreme Court – Will ICWA’s Constitutionality be Upheld?
By Nimo Ali, Lerner Fellow in Child Welfare Policy—–All eyes will be on the Supreme Court this fall when it hears arguments on the high-profile dispute over the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act. Seven months ago, both sides submitted petitions to the Supreme Court for review, seeking greater clarity on…
Recovery From COVID: Perspectives from Young Adults with Foster Care Experience
By Sarah Wasch, MSW and Johanna Greeson, PhD; Field Center Program Manager and Managing Faculty Director—–As the COVID pandemic enters its third year of impact, donors and foundation funders may face uncertainty about how to ensure a more just recovery from COVID-19. The 2022 High Impact Giving Guide from the Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP)…